1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a solid glitter marker. More specifically, the invention relates to a solid glitter marker which, in its form, can be used to favorably draw a picture on an object such as a paper, the picture that is drawn exhibiting a glittering effect on a transparent background and being intimately adhered to the object maintaining resistance against being peeled off.
2. Description of Prior Art
Drawing materials blended with a glitter have been known already.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,383,954 discloses an invention entitled xe2x80x9cSolid Marking Composition Containing Glitterxe2x80x9d, which is a solid drawing composition comprising various waxes as base materials, softening agents such as various kinds of oils, a pigment and a glitter.
There have also been placed in the market the drawing materials obtained by dispersing a glitter in the liquid paste, and packaging the liquid paste in a polypropylene tube.
The glitter is obtained by evaporating aluminum on a polyethylene terephthalate film and, further, imparting a color thereon when it is desired to obtain the glitter having a chromatic color. The glitter has a size that is very larger than that of a pigment that is usually used for the drawing materials, i.e., has a size of from 0.008xc3x970.008 mm through up to about 1.5xc3x971.5 mm. The thickness is about one-tenth the length of the side.
When a solid drawing material such as crayon blended with the glitter is used for drawing pictures on an object, the glitter is not transferred onto the surface of the object but, instead, driven deep into the drawing material.
According to the former prior art, the glitter can be utilized to some extent by selecting the hardness of the drawing material to be as soft as 25 to 45 mm in the needle-insertion testing stipulated under ASTM D1321-85. However, the glitter can be used when it has a size of as relatively small as 0.05xc3x970.05 mm or less. The glitter cannot be transferred onto the object when it has a size larger than the above value. Even the glitter having a size of not larger than 0.05xc3x970.05 mm tend to be easily driven into the drawing material when it is used for drawing a picture, and the glittering effect of the glitter cannot be exhibited to a satisfactory degree.
According to the former prior art, further, a wax having poor transparency is used as a base material. The surfaces of the glitter are covered with this opaque wax, and light reflected by the glitter is partly lost weakening the glittering effect.
Another defect of the drawing material using the wax as a base material is that the glitter that is transferred onto the surface of the object tends to be easily peeled off. The glitter transferred onto the surface of the object simply remains adhered thereto together with the wax which is the base material of the drawing material and is easily peeled off when touched by, for example, hand. This tendency becomes conspicuous when the glitter has a larger size to produce a higher glittering effect.
On the other hand, the latter commercially available product is used by being squeezed out from the tube and is spread by fingers. This, however, is cumbersome to use.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a solid glitter marker which, in its form, can be used to favorably draw a picture on an object such as a paper, the picture that is drawn exhibiting a glittering effect on a transparent background and being intimately adhered to the object maintaining resistance against being peeled off.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a drawing material which permits the glitter to be excellently transferred onto the drawing surface, the glitter being excellently adhered to the drawing surface and an exhibiting excellent glittering effect.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a solid glitter marker using a glitter exhibiting a higher glittering effect and having a larger size.
According to the present invention, there is provided a solid glitter marker comprising a gel-forming material that contains (A) at least one kind of gelling agent selected from the group consisting of a dibenzylidene sorbitol, derivatives thereof, tribenzylidene sorbitol and derivatives thereof, (B) water, (C) a water-miscible organic solvent, (D) a high-molecular adhesive, and (E) a glitter, the gel-forming material having a bending strength under JIS S-6026 of 160 to 700 g and a crushing strength which is not larger than 10 times as large as the bending strength.
It is desired that the solid glitter marker of the present invention contains the gelling agent (A) in an amount of from 1 to 4% by weight, preferably, from 2 to 3% by weight, the water (B) in an amount of from 10 to 40% by weight, preferably, from 25 to 35% by weight, the organic solvent (C) in an amount of from 35 to 50% by weight and, preferably, from 40 to 45% by weight, the high-molecular adhesive (D) in an amount of from 3 to 25% by weight and, preferably, from 5 to 15% by weight, and the glitter (E) in an amount of from 1 to 20% by weight and, preferably, from 5 to 15% by weight.
It is desired that the solid glitter marker of the present invention, further, contains (F) a polyvinyl alcohol in addition to the above-mentioned essential components. The glitter marker may further contain (G) a coloring agent.